Captain Gray

“ You are quite free, Captain Gray. You and Mirai Khan. Doubtless you wish to return to your caravan."
Gray thought of the two waiting mules and the rain-soaked blanket that constituted his outfit, and laughingly mentioned it to her.
"You are very kind," he said, rising.
"Captain Gray," she said impulsively, "it's raining again. If you would care to spend the night with us, I am sure Ram Singh can spare you a cot and blanket. Mirai Khan can fetch your outfit in the morning, and you can go on with us to Ansichow. It's only a day's trek." ”

“ So congenial was the work to me that Captain Gray was good enough to offer to make me harpooner as well as surgeon, with the double pay, if I would come with him on a second voyage. It is well that I refused, for the life is dangerously fascinating. ”

“ Sir Lionel's first words were not what Gray expected.
"You are not a scientist, sir?"
"I am not. Professor Delabar, who was to have come with me, was forced to turn back at Liangchowfu."
"Then you are alone? Without a caravan?"
"For the present. I'm going to do my best to outfit at Ansichow and get ahead of you, Sir Lionel." Gray rose. "I suppose I'm not exactly welcome here, after what I've told you——"
The Englishman waved his brown hand tolerantly.
"I like your frankness, Captain Gray. Pray be seated. We are rivals, not enemies, you know. ”

“ The Englishman roused with an effort and tried to smile.
"I'm pretty well done up, I'm afraid, Captain Gray. But put me on a mule, you know. I'll manage well enough." Gray knew that he was lying, and warmed to the pluck of the man. "I must not delay you."
"We should be at the ruins in thirty-six hours."
"Right! Where's the mule——" he broke off as Mirai Khan appeared beside them.
"Excellency!" The Kirghiz's eyes were wide with excitement. "I have seen men with rifles approaching on two sides."
"Bring your mules into the brush, Captain Gray," said Sir Lionel quickly. ”

“ The sailors turned suddenly, and with redoubled energy rowed toward the vessel; they were fleeing in terror from what they imagined to be hostile natives, come out to capture them, and their only chance of safety seemed to them to lie in reaching their vessel. Captain Gray and Allen as soon as they discovered how their party had frightened those to whom they were so anxiously hurrying, began to halloo to them. At first the fleeing crew paid no heed, except to renew their efforts to reach their ship. ”

“ Gray broke off.
"The desert is no place for a woman. I suppose that is what you meant. But I am not an ordinary woman, I warn you, Captain Gray. Sir Lionel is my only relative, and we have traveled together for years. He did say that he anticipated some opposition from the Chinese authorities. But I refused to be left behind." The rounded chin lifted stubbornly. "This is the most important work my uncle has undertaken, and he is always visited with fever about this time of year."
Gray was secretly envious of Sir Lionel. What an ally this girl would make! ”

“ The crowd dispersed, but Gray saw a single figure standing alone at the end of the quay, watching the steamer to the last. She stretched out her arms, leaned forward, and plunged into the water.
His involuntary scream brought others to his side, and the news soon spread along the deck that a woman had drowned herself. Some women had approached nearer the after-part of the packet than was consistent with the regulations, and openly coupled her name with Captain Trafford’s. He came forward, and, in a furious tone, sent them forward, and placed a sentry on the spot they had invaded. ”

“ Sailors running here and there, officers shouting out orders, and above it all, the smoke arising in dense clouds. The life boats were soon ready for their precious human freight. Into one boat Mrs. Gray, Allen Thornton, the three girls, the captain and four sailors went, the rest of the crew taking another boat. The men set the sails on the captain’s boat, and, as there was a brisk breeze blowing, together with the fact that the men bent manfully to the oars, they were soon a safe distance from the burning ship, and looking back could see the flames bursting out all over her. ”

“ Some have money and the others steal it like highwaymen. A man who looked and acted like a crazy man came in the cabin and declared he was afraid for his life. As the day wore on the deviltry grew worse. Captain Gray told the officers in command [276] that unless they could control them he would stop at the nearest port and land them. He is afraid of fire, as they smoke and have open lights all the time. ”

“ At this point of the conversation on the deck Louis was intensely interested, for he was as desirous of knowing where each man was placed as the captain himself. In the beginning of the discussion he had simply hoped that something might be done to recover the steamer; but now Scott's proposition began to look more practicable.
"I thought you had placed them," said Gray. "Francisco, who knows more about a steamer than any of the rest of your crew, is to be at the helm, and Pedro is to look out for the Spanish engineer, who is not likely to give us any trouble." ”

“ Once we have the canoes in mid channel, we can set most of them adrift, and bring Captain Courtenay and the others back to the ship in four or five which we will tow to Guanaco Hill. And now, good-by again!”
“One moment, Miss Maxwell,” broke in Gray’s quiet voice from the upper deck. “You can’t engineer that scheme with a one-man crew, and he sick and unwilling. ”

“ Gray, “and ‘Be Prepared’ is the motto to act upon every day of our lives, if we want to be strong enough to say: ‘After you, Pilot’, when we get our chance.”
“I see that, sir,” answered Bill, “but if you want to have grit in the water, you have to be friendly with it; and what I wanted to know was, whether Captain Craven was friendly with the water, and if that was the reason he did not mind drowning?” ”

“ The captain felt disposed to resent it as a breach of discipline; but the young man’s manner was so earnest, that he nodded, and watchfully turned his head in the same direction.
“What do you think then, Gray?” said the captain. “They are only people taking an interest in what is, to them, a great sight.”
“I’m suspicious, sir, by nature,” said Gray, “and I can’t help feeling that we are living on the edge of a volcano.”
“Do you always make use of such fine language, Gray?” said Captain Smithers with a sneer. ”

“ Captain Ringgold glanced at Gray, tied down to the legs of the divan, and he wondered that the "big four" had been able to overcome a man of his weight and apparent strength. Gray immediately appealed to the commander when Louis called him by name, declared that he was a British subject, and was the victim of a Yankee trick. ”

“ A. Gray.
New York, November 21, 1836.
No appointments are yet made in the scientific corps of the South Sea expedition. The difficulties as to the naval officers are only just settled. There are so many who wish to command that it is impossible to please them all. Captain Jones, the commander, is now in town, and I had the pleasure of seeing him this evening at the Astor hotel. He goes to Boston to-morrow to look after the two brigs fitting out at the navy yard there. ”

“ He was about to accept the offer when he heard that a ship, the Edgar, was to sail to the Pacific, with the master of which Captain Barrow was acquainted. The master, Captain Sandford, having no first-mate, gladly agreed, when he heard Peter Gray’s character, to give him the berth.
“I am thankful to have my first-officer a Christian,” he said; “for I have too often been defeated in my attempts to bring my crew to the truth by the indifference or hostility of my mates. Three of my men have sailed with me for years, and I can trust them ”

“ Captain Robert Gray is here, in Ram Singh's tent. He is alone, with a servant. He is a big man, not ill-looking, but awkward—very. He stands so much on his dignity. Really, it was quite ridiculous"—she laughed agreeably—"and I was very nicely entertained. He was brought in by the Sikhs, after trying to steal our ponies——"
"Lifting our horses!" Sir Lionel sat bolt upright and flushed. ”

“ REMINISCENCES OF CAPT. W. P. GRAY 351
"After sizing up the boat and its equipment, I didn't blame Captain Jones for disappearing. However, I had promised them to make the attempt, and I did n't intend to back out. You know they say, 'A poor workman always quarrels with his tools/ so I decided to do the best I could under the circum- stances.
"At Priest Rapids we attempted to lay a line along the shore and fasten it above the lower riffle and attach it to the boat below. I found we couldn't carry the line clear of submerged reefs. ”

“ Gray and his companions were badly armed. The Indians remaining in the canoes could have pelted them to shreds in a few minutes. Even those on the ship had the power to resist any attempt by the newcomers to gain the decks. But the superstitious savages had already screwed themselves up to an act of unusual daring in delivering a night attack, and the appearance of boats filled with men of whose fighting qualities they had already such a lively experience quite demoralized them. ”

“ Then follows a copy of the enclosure from Captain Morris of the Life Guards, who, it may be remarked, was a well-known politician and popular song-writer, and a boon companion of the wits at Brooks. His portrait, engraved by Greatbach, is given in an early volume of “Bentley’s Miscellany,” and another portrait, painted by James Lonsdale, was recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, London. ”

“ I asked if Grey might accompany me.
“To keep each other out of mischief, I suppose,” he observed. “Yes, he may go, but, remember there’s an order against taking arms with you. It is feared that you youngsters will be running your heads into danger if you have the means of fighting.”
There was nothing very romantic or interesting in prospect for us, but still it was something to get away from the ship, and to feel that, in a certain sense, we were to be our own masters for a few hours. Billy Wise, the captain’s steward, was also sent in the boat. I have not mentioned Billy for some time. ”

“ Shortly afterwards, Lieutenant Grey and his party, under a heavy fire still kept up from the batteries, gallantly boarded the French frigate. Having removed Captain l’Hermite, 14 or 15 other officers, and a few men, all that remained in her, and, greatly to Lieutenant Grey’s credit, saved as much as possible of the private property belonging to them. Lieutenant Grey set fire to and destroyed the Preneuse, and returned to the Adamant without the loss of a man. ”

“ So her spirits rose, and she was so good-natured and obliging as well as so clever, that the crew one and all declared they had found a treasure. There was nothing ‘James Gray’ could not and would not do—wash their shirts, cook their food, mend their holes, laugh at their stories. And, as she looked a great deal younger in her men’s clothes than she had done in her woman’s dress, no one took her for anything but a boy, and all willingly helped to teach her the duties which would fall to her, both now and in case of war. ”

“ My only fear was that the schooner might after all not prove an enemy. The wind was dropping gradually—there was little doubt that we should get up to her.
“I suppose that the captain won’t mind much if she is an enemy and we attack her,” continued Grey. “He’ll suspect, though, that we disobeyed orders, and had arms in the boat.”
“Not if we take her,” I answered. “He’ll not ask questions. If we fail we shall get into a terrible row—we may count on that; but we must take her, and it will stick a feather in our caps, and put some dollars in our pockets too.” ”

“ George Grey had a division of guns under him, and was behaving like the young hero he was. Toby Bluff was busily employed in bringing up powder, and looking as totally unconcerned about everything else as if this was the most important work to be done. Having brought up his tub, he sat himself down on it, determined that not a spark should get in if he could help it. In like manner the captain was doing his duty to the best of his power, and so was every officer and man in the ship. ”

“ I allude to the destroying la Preneuse frigate, under her own batteries, and bringing her captain and officers prisoners on board this ship; and to his having, on another occasion, and a more difficult one, proceeded above the buoys at the entrance of Port Louis, in the Mauritius, and brought out a ship [3] , which I fancied, had insulted the British flag. On this latter service, Mr. Grey had two men killed and ten wounded: the enemy’s loss was much more considerable. ”

“ At 11 A.M. on the 1st May, 1795, soon after Captain Grey’s return to England, and whilst he was attending a court-martial in Portsmouth harbour, a fire broke out on board the Boyne, then at Spithead. The flames burst through the poop-deck before the fire was discovered, and spread so rapidly, that in less than half an hour the ship was in a blaze fore and aft; every exertion on the part of the officers and crew to save her proved abortive. All her guns being loaded, went off as they became heated, the shot falling among the shipping ”

“ Stan asked. “It’s a shame we can’t have him with us. He’s a swell guy.”
“And a fine officer,” Gray said. “He ought to have a command of his own, really. Well, I’m not sure what we’ll do. The Navy can probably find us another officer in a hurry if we demand it, though it’s not easy to find a good sub man just like that who isn’t already occupied.”
He shook his head as he turned to his quarters. “I’m not sure just what we’ll do,” he said, “except that we’ll get under way on schedule.”
At the door, he stopped. “March, will you and Stan help Mac oversee the loading? ”